The Chemicals Between Us
by jasminedragons
Summary: Collection of short stories, now featuring The Fifteenth Day, written for Valentine's:   Numbness clawed at her insides, devouring her heart and lungs so that her blood froze, her breath stalled.
1. Spar

**Written for Tokka Week** **on KataangForever(dot)com**

_Prompt #1: Spar_

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><p><strong>Just Between Us<strong>

Sokka couldn't stop gawking.

He hadn't, really, for the past few days or so; after all, the change was drastic, the figure sitting complacently to his right now nubile where it had once been stocky, childish features evolving into the bestowed fullness of her gender.

She was busy gnawing on the remnants of her dinner, her mouth starkly red and streaked with soot. The fire cast useless light onto the vacant eyes set deep within her face, rays unable to penetrate the opaque. Shadows molded to the curves of her waist, offering allure as it crept between her crossed legs; they had become lean from months of growing up and toned from hours of practice. She had finally tamed her hair, now ebony curtains framing her face, held back by her customary headband. Her bangs were parted in the centre, ends tucked behind unwashed ears to place the newfound angularity of her refined face in prominence.

It had been barely a year since he had last set his eyes on her, but, _man_, did puberty cause some not entirely undesirable effects on the young heiress.

'Liking what you see, Snoozles?'

Sokka started at Toph's suggestive drawl, retracting his gaze from what he mentally insisted was simply the exquisite embroidery upon the ends of her collar instead of the sudden plunge it took. Still, he couldn't help but blush furiously as he took in the playful grin plastered across Toph's face, realizing he _had_ been involuntarily ogling. She stretched as she waited for his reply; glancing down, away from her knowing expression, Sokka admired the panel of porcelain skin revealed as her tunic hiked up accidentally, its contours hourglass and- He blinked, catching himself.

Well, maybe not involuntarily. But still.

'I wasn't- I don't-' he sputtered, forgetting to swallow his sausage and choking as a result. After several coughs, the offending piece of meat was projected into the intended passageway, upon which a gasping Sokka turned a shrewder mind to the question.

'Hang on.' He narrowed his eyes, jabbing an accusatory finger at Toph as the pieces fell into place. 'You couldn't have known that I was staring at you!'

Her Cheshire grin stretched across her cheekbones again. 'Well, I do now!' Toph crowed, the hair tucked behind her left ear becoming dislodged to swing across an eye, giving her a somewhat rakish look as her body shook with laughter.

Sokka could feel his eyes bulging, as they were wont to do during moments of great distress. 'You- I can't believe- Why-'

'You know, you really need to work on your comebacks,' she interrupted lazily, ignoring the increase in blood flow to his head as he stumbled over verbal blocks.

She scooted closer, leaning over to brush against the Water Tribesman's torso, her hair scented faintly with petrichor as its only form of hygiene. Instead of the expected affectionate punch, though, her hand remained firmly on the ground, propping herself up to sway closer to his face. Sokka felt the drumming in his chest morph into a deafening pounding, gulping as he tried to slow it down in vain. Though they had been in closer proximity than this, it felt wildly different with a Toph on the cusp of womanhood directly in front of him. He saw Toph's eyebrows raise slightly, lips curving upwards in a lopsided smile; she was no doubt amused at his body's reaction to her. Petite points lifting cheeks were attractive and demure as Sokka gazed into orbs peeking out beneath disheveled locks, Toph's expression coy.

Instinctively, he felt the drooping of his own eyelids, the distance closing between them as his body tilted forwards. Sokka knew his brain was screaming at him for defying all possible logic; unfortunately, the thudding of his heart was beating along rhythmically to Toph's shallow breaths, their combined amplitude unbelievably loud in the dark of their campsite, drowning out all possible reasoning.

Sokka inhaled a last, deep breath, velocity speeding up to capture her lips- and promptly fell flat on his face.

'You should also,' a smug voice came from behind him, 'Never let your guard down.'

His forehead throbbing, Sokka flipped over onto his back. As his eyes swiveled from the satisfied expression on Toph's face to the plate of food in her other hand (so_ that's_ where it had been!), Sokka tensed, eyes widening in outrage at such thievery, ignoring the disappointed sinking of his heart.

His gaze narrowed as the earthbender plucked a piece of meat from the platter, sniffed it, and gave a contented sigh. Toph extended arm downwards towards him, tantalizing and taunting mingling in her action and voice. 'Wow, Sokka, this lizard chicken smells great!' She brought it to her nose once more, a smirk blossoming across her smeared lips. 'I bet it'd taste amazing, too, don't you?'

He sucked in a breath, the beginnings of eye bulging setting in once again. 'Don't. You_. Dare_.'

This only served to widen Toph's grin. Lifting her arm, she angled her head sideways to allow Sokka the perfect view of her biting into the meat deliberately, her jaw pumping as she chewed exaggeratedly. 'Mmm,' she mumbled, her mouth full, 'This is fantastic stuff, Snoozles, it was _so sweet_ of you to- argh!'

Sokka had lunged. Bits of food, ejected from Toph's mouth as she yelled, descended on the two. Aiming for her legs, Sokka crashed into the log instead, realizing too late that Toph could anticipate others' movements.

As stars circled haphazardly around his wolftail, a peal of laughter erupted from his right. 'Way to go, Meathead, but you should know better than _that_.'

Groaning, he fumbled with the package strapped to his back, tossing his new boomerang in the direction of her voice. A gratifying _thwack_ echoed through their camp, followed by a small yelp and the _clang_ of a dropped dish.

Wails and an argument erupted accordingly.

'My dinner!'

'_Your _dinner? You stole it from me!'

'We've been walking for ages; I need more sustenance than that!'

'It was a full meal!'

'You call _that _a full meal?'

'Well, why don't _you_ go and do the hunting from now on, if you're so hungry?'

'I would, except for the one fact that you _always_ seem to conveniently forget- I'm blind!'

'Just crush some animals with your rocks or something!'

'Argh!'

A scuffle broke out, involving several flying stones, the retrieval of Boomerang and many hard knocks deftly aimed; in the end, Toph was triumphant, straddling a defeated and completely winded Sokka in the dirt. Facing upwards with his arms pinned to his sides by two strong limbs, Sokka took in Toph's menacing scowl and trembled, the leaves that had become caught in his wolftail shaking.

'Uh,' he gulped nervously. 'You're not going to hurt me, are you?'

'That depends,' she shrugged, her tone mockingly thoughtful. 'Are you going to keep pissing me off by being an insensitive jerk?' Toph tossed her head scornfully, scooping up a handful of soil and melding it into a firm ball threateningly.

Again, he gulped, but in response to how she had shifted her weight further south, settling herself comfortably away from the concave of his torso. Sokka winced at his heart- it was hammering away, with perspiration clinging to his hairline. He knew he was hot and bothered, but did Toph? _Toph_- his thoughts drifted dreamily to their combined heat pooling around his hips. Snapped back into reality by Toph's expectant throat rumble, Sokka shook himself mentally.

_Down, boy_, he told himself.

It took all the restraint he had to divert his attention from the welcome warmth seeping from Toph's body into his to the brick of mud poised opportunely over his head.

'No,' Sokka managed to squeak through the tightness of his chest, meekly looking away from the girl on top. 'Sorry.'

Toph's eyes narrowed; Sokka flinched, his eyes screwed shut in anticipation of an attack. Instead, she got up, grunting as she did so. 'Good enough for me,' she decided, hurling the ball over her shoulder and dusting her filthy hands, which she then offered to the Water Tribesman.

He muttered a sheepish word of thanks, accepting the hand gratefully and internally praising the Spirits that Toph's powers of perception were incapable of detecting his thoughts.

Rubbing a tender spot on the side of his head, Sokka glanced sideways at the blind girl, who was occupied with examining the contents of her nose.

'You sure can pack a punch, Toph,' he grumbled, cautiously poking a developing bruise on his forearm.

She smirked, her fingers righting her askew headband. 'It's too bad I can't say the same for you, though.'

Sokka rolled his eyes. 'Well, it's been fun, but I'm going to bed,' he muttered, turning to unroll his sleeping bag.

'Sleepy already?' She sounded amused. 'From the way your heart was beating just now, I'd say you were a long way from it. And don't even get me started on where all that blood was-'

'_Toph_!' His voice was a half-strangled whisper, his body halfway into his sleeping bag.

'What? It's a natural bodily function! I mean, come on, I'm sure you and Suki-'

Sokka dove beneath the covers, clamping his hands over his ears ineffectively. 'I'm not listening!'

He heard her familiar huff. 'Fine.'

Silence reigned for a while. The only sound Sokka heard was the movement of the earth; Toph was presumably constructing her usual tent. Just as he was dozing off, a voice piped up.

'Snoozles?'

'Yeah?'

'You know, if you got more sparring practice, I bet you'd be on top more often.'

Sokka turned over in his cocoon, his head processing her statement. His eyes widened as they absorbed the massive structure, two slabs of stones angled to meet each other. Toph was leaning back on her elbows where their tips met, her head cocked to the side, the brown soles of her feet perpendicular to the ground.

'Uh-'

'In fact,' Toph continued, as if she hadn't heard him, 'This tent I just built is perfect for that. Big. Roomy. _Solid_.' She stretched a hand out, rapping her knuckles against the hard surface.

Sokka swallowed. 'Toph, I-'

'I'll be inside.'

She turned, crawling away from the tent's mouth till the darkness swallowed her- how _big_ was that thing, anyway?- leaving a stunned Sokka to stare after her.

After a few minutes, he remembered to close his mouth, then picked up his sleeping bag, bundling it under his arm. Sokka stopped to put out the remaining embers that had once been their fire and cast a last glance around the empty space.

Then, taking a deep breath, he followed the trail of petrichor into the night.

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><p><strong>AN**: This is the first oneshot I've written in ages. I admit, it's not my best work and I'm not entirely satisfied with it, but I hope you all enjoyed the romantic, sexy goodness! Er, yes, it's meant to be fluffy and insinuative- if you're looking for angst, try my other Tokka fic, Nothing is Illuminated.

I felt the prompt was really tricky- I decided to go on a less conventional route, and turn the Tokka relationship into a spar itself, with Toph delivering the blows and sneak attacks while Sokka is the unfortunate sparring dummy that takes all the hits. This fic aims to show the spontaneity and unexpectedness of the Tokka dynamics, with two wonderful characters bouncing off each other with witty repartee and some obvious wordplay.

Look out for another oneshot tomorrow! :)

As always, please read and review, and all comments, critiques and ideas are very welcome! :)


	2. Redemption

**Written for Tokka Week** **on KataangForever(dot)com**

_Prompt #2: Redemption_

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><p><strong>Time Enough<strong>

To say that Toph Bei Fong was not comfortable would be an understatement.

Katara had happened, a whirlwind of bath scrubs, hair products and the stagnant smell of new clothes. There had been fights where voices were raised to amplitudes loud enough to make the earth shudder, a blatant refusal to wear the carefully selected outfit and a grudging compromise. Now, Toph was sitting stiffly upon a rocky hilltop in shoes she could barely see in, her face dewy and cleansed, artificial ringlets framing her face swaying with the breeze.

The sun was mercilessly beating down on her, sweat seeping through silk to form blossoming stains on her back and beneath her armpits. There were trees offering cool respite somewhere below, yet she stubbornly remained rooted to the crest of the hill. Toph kicked off her shoes, then sunk her feet into the dry earth, her toes tickled by the sparse blades of grass braving the terrain. Sighing contentedly, Toph resumed examining the town a little ways below that she had been sightlessly gazing at for the past few minutes.

_Home at last_, she thought ironically, just as the sounds of wheezing approached her.

'Toph?'

She acknowledged his presence with a simple incline of her perfectly coiffed head; Toph had felt him a mile off, so in tune to his thudding heart she was. Still, he didn't have to know about it.

'So,' Sokka slid down next to her, copying her position with his knees drawn up to his chin. 'From the way you took off back there, I guess you weren't too pleased when Katara whipped out the make-up.'

Toph grunted her agreement, stretching out her leg and flexing a foot encrusted with dirt and several questionable items. 'Sugar Queen has obviously forgotten what happened at that spa in Ba Sing Se,' she grumbled.'

Sokka sighed, pinching the bit where his eyebrows met as his forehead wrinkled in exasperation. 'Toph, she's just trying to help by making you look presentable for today.'

Her bottom lip couldn't help but jut out, giving Toph the look of a sullen child. 'I know she is,' she groused, fingering the traditional gown she wore. 'But-'

'-But you'd much rather walk into your parents' house covered in dirt and wearing your own clothes, showing them who's the greatest earthbender on the planet,' Sokka finished, a wry smile flashing across his face. 'Right?'

She flushed, but thrust her chin out pugnaciously. 'So what? Do you think getting me all prettied up is going to make a difference?' Toph hugged herself, resting her chin on her knees. 'They didn't even bother sending me a reply.'

Her tone dripped with bitterness. It had been five months since Hawky had flown off, carrying her heartfelt message. Toph had lingered at The Jasmine Dragon as long as she could, spending her nights out on the balcony, facing the sky expectantly. She was eventually forced to admit that Hawky had either lost his way, which she vehemently refused to accept, or that she simply wasn't worth her parents' time.

She felt Sokka cast a concerned glance at her. 'Toph, if you don't want to do this- Well, we'll pack up and head home. It's okay.'

It _wasn't _okay. And where _was_ home, anyway? Great as her makeshift family was, Toph couldn't shake the feeling that she was still someone's little girl, someone's daughter. She was permanently tied to her parents, that bridge fraught with danger and damaged- but was it beyond repair?

Seeing her eyebrows furrowing, Sokka proceeded gently, tilting his head to peek at her expression. 'Is that what all this is about? The fact that they don't seem to care?'

In less than a minute, Sokka had worn down her prickly defenses, seen through her temper tantrums and childish grouses, prodding the vulnerable spots to diagnose the root of the problem. She had been impulsive in her decision. She was desperate to see her parents, to make amends- but as the meeting dawned, Toph's pride got the better of her, deciding the effort was simply a waste. Toph stamped down the quivering emotions that seemed to well up inside before grunting her assent. 'Maybe.'

'C'mon, Toph. You were so eager to see your parents on the trip over here- what happened?' He paused. 'Talk to me.'

Toph sucked in a breath, flopping onto her back. 'I don't know if I'm doing the right thing, okay?' she snapped at the sun. 'How're they going to react? I want them to accept me, but… Maybe they don't _want _a daughter like me.'

Sokka shrugged. 'You won't know till-'

'You don't understand!' Toph burst out. 'All I want is for them to know how sorry I am that I ran away without telling them and caused them so much worry, but when I think of what they might do… I get so _scared_.'

The word left her mouth in a rush, the truth slipping away with the teasing wind. Sokka lay down next to her, propping himself up with an elbow to face the blind girl. With his free hand, he reached over to envelope Toph's fingers, brown and pale intertwining, the young bender jerking in surprise.

'Sometimes,' Sokka said, 'If you love someone enough, you have to take the first step and lay your pride down, no matter the stakes.'

The heat rising in her face, Toph lay in a confused silence. She marveled at the warmth emanating from Sokka's fingers, surreptitiously observing the ebb and flow of the blood in his hand. She felt the internal struggle and anxiety fading, a vague sense of comfort and calm taking over that had everything to do with the reassuring hand clasped around hers.

As the sun continued its sluggish passage overhead, Sokka broke into her thoughts, his voice mild and transient. 'So, what do you want to do now?'

Toph thought back to his words; redemption had never been her strong point, having habitually stomped over everyone else's desires as she saw fit. Yet it was the one thing she needed most now- to know that her actions were forgiven, her identity accepted. Toph needed to be brave, to risk her pride like Sokka had said, to discover if her parents loved her as much as she loved them.

There was no hesitation in her voice as she replied, considering the vastness of the air above. 'I want to redeem myself, tell my parents how much they mean to me. That I'm still their daughter, and will be no matter what they think. And if they turn away,' she turned her head towards Sokka, a small, melancholy smile playing on her lips, 'At least I know that I did the best I could.'

Smiling was infectious; Sokka looked proudly at his companion. 'Atta girl.'

Hand in hand, they got up and began their descent, Sokka thoughtfully maneuvering Toph around the more perilous areas. Once they reached the paved walkway back to the inn, he tried to venture a comment.

'You know-'

'Yeah?'

He hesitated, appraising the elegant figure she cut. How could he tell her without sounding like a fool? 'Nothing.'

Later, as they stood outside the gates to the Bei Fong estate, Toph would clutch Sokka's hand so tightly that both their knuckles would turn white from the lack of blood circulation. Only when they were ushered into the drawing room would she let go of her anchor, sailing into the waiting arms of her parents and bursting into uncharacteristic tears. Her father would be inconsolable, while Poppy would survey Toph with a watery smile, exclaiming all the while about how beautiful she had grown.

And as Toph sobbed anew into her mother's shoulder, Sokka would wish that he was the one to tell her that.

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><p><strong>AN:** First off, thank you to **Invaderk**, **13designershoes** and **wtng** for the reviews :) More Tokka fluff (sorry, I have to get it out of my system, and who doesn't like oogie-inducing moments?)! This is, unfortunately, the best reply I could come with to the prompt (I really hope the theme was consistent throughout this time), but I had fun examining the existing Tokka friendship as well as showing the subtle moments where their (potential) romantic interest in each other is revealed.

Please read and review, with all comments/critiques welcome with open arms :)

Until tomorrow!


	3. Endangerment

**Written for Tokka Week** **on KataangForever(dot)com**

_Prompt #3: Endangerment_

Note: Re-posted from Nothing is Illuminated, with some edits.

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><p><strong>Nothing is Illuminated<strong>

She hadn't known true fear or danger till now.

Dangling from Sokka's hand, a thousand feet stretched beneath her, the vast mouth of the Earth Kingdom's barren and broken land yawning, waiting to consume the fallen. Her feet burned with the heat of the lit forest, prickling uncomfortably as the empty air fanned the rising flames. Gravity was a law, not to be defied; it was as if the Spirits themselves had imposed this on her as punishment for running away. She heard the swish of Boomerang, the clash of meteorite on armor, then felt the gust of wind down, down, down, signifying the loss of their last possible hope.

She didn't know where the adventure ended and the terror of war began.

It was foolish. _She _was foolish- just a little rebellion had landed her in this situation, the very sense she relied on most no longer an advantage here, her one disability taking over. She thought fleetingly of her parents, and was grateful that they were safely ensconced in their comfortable mansion as their daughter fought on. Fear clouded her just as the darkness pressed firmly on her eyes, her whole body tensing, struggling to pull herself up, fighting against the weakness in her arms. She heard Sokka wincing in pain; the hurried footsteps of Fire Nation guards grew steadily louder.

_Hang on, Toph!_

Sokka was trying, the bravery in his tone doing little to shield the panic flashing out from behind, coursing through his veins in a downward torrent to infect her own body. She could feel the muscles in his arm and neck working, craning to peer down at her to make sure she was all right. In turn, she stemmed the desperate tears brimming, refusing to add to the terrified white mask she donned. She would not show weakness, bolstering courage as she continued to pump her arms for strength. Abandoning her futile efforts, she hung limply, her callused feet climbing the air, desperate to find Earth, metal, anything to save herself. Anything to save Sokka.

_Aye aye, Captain._

Her breath caught in her throat, choking any more words back as the falsely calm words were devoured by the flames. The drag from the airship's flight buffeted her, pressing all her weight downwards. She felt her hand slipping, slipping, slipping from Sokka's as their sweat and her spit mingled, his fingers desperately trying to find friction with hers. The tears escaped from the dam she had built, leaking out of her sightless eyes in a steady stream; they were going to fall, and burn with the rest of Wulong Forest. Through her fingertips she felt his blood pulsing, his muscles screaming with the exertion of supporting her weight, the frenetic pounding of his heart that beat in time to her own.

His grip on her was loosening, friction giving out to moisture.

He was her single thread to the world. All around her was black and darkness, an infinite drop to the bottom, and they were exhausted beyond belief- it would almost be a relief to just let go. The tears came faster now, and as her arm and fingers succumbed to fatigue, Sokka seemed to edge further and further away from her. But he was here, his fingers a vice grip on hers, hanging on like he was going to do everything he could to keep her from falling.

Like he was going to die trying.

And then Toph had to laugh, because honestly? She was spending her last moments with her best friend, her never lover, and the last thing she was going to experience was the flush of his skin, the throbbing of his veins, and his fingers interlacing hers.

What a heavenly way to die.

And then he had let go, and she steeled herself for the impact to come.

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><p>AN: I want to thank **Invaderk**, **13designershoes**, **D3stiny-Sm4sher**, **Dunge0nDrag0n**, **tomboy_26** and **Spry** for reading and reviewing the last prompt's reply! It's so encouraging to read all of your kind words :)

Ahem. Some of you have undoubtedly noticed that this is a blatant reposting of my other fic's prologue; unfortunately, my brain just seemed to die on the given word, Endangerment, and would not cough up anything worthy of elaboration or witty enough to satisy me. As I've been told the prologue would function well as a oneshot, I decided to include it in my submission for Tokka Week, albeit with some editing to adhere it more closely to the theme.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed (re)reading the longer, more detailed version :) As always, comments, critiques and ideas for the upcoming prompts (especially #6: Shiver) are all very welcome!

Till next time!


	4. Sabotage

**Written for Tokka Week on KataangForever(dot)com**

_Prompt #4: Sabotage_

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><p><strong>Plan of Attack<strong>

Toph couldn't remember when she had started.

She did, however, recall what had initiated it.

A chance meeting with Mai had led them to an underground bar where they had shared a bottle of whisky, leaving Toph to pour out her emotions in her inebriated state. She had confided in her silent companion in hushed, embarrassed tones, burying her head in her arms as she lamented about her romantic problems.

'If you love him so much, why don't you just tell him?' Mai had suggested, stroking the rim of her glass with her finger.

Toph had turned bulging eyes to the latter. '_Tell _him?' Her throat burned from the amount of alcohol consumed, her voice strangled as appal reflected through her tone. 'I couldn't. How awkward would _that _be? If he laughed- oh, Spirits-' Toph grabbed the whisky bottle, tipping its contents directly into her mouth as she continued blubbering, her cheeks turning steadily redder.

Evidently, the stream of self-pity had been too much for Mai. Irked, she downed the last of her drink, rising from her seat. From her sleeve she drew out a few coins, tossing them onto the table indifferently.

'Wait,' Toph had blinked blearily at the retreating figure. 'Where're you going?'

She felt Mai revolve slowly to face her. 'You disappoint me, Toph,' Mai had said, cutting and cold. 'I'd never have expected this cowering away from you- what happened to practicing what you're preaching?'

Toph had felt the flush produced by alcohol increase in intensity. 'I'm-'

'Think about it. You keep telling Aang to stand his ground, stake his claim, whatever. If you want something badly enough, I'd have thought you, of all people, would be fighting to the death for it instead of sitting around in some dodgy bar pouring your heart out to someone who had _much _better things to do.'

Toph had sucked in a breath, hurt. Ordinarily, she would have jumped at the chance to defend herself, but as the razor-sharp words hit home, stinging of the truth, she was unable think of a suitable retort.

Perhaps Mai had seen the stricken expression on her face, for her tone had become gentle. 'If you love him that much, I advise you not to let it go. And if you can't tell him face to face...' Toph felt the older girl shrug.

'What am I supposed to do?' Toph had groaned. 'Write him a letter? Seduce him away from Suki?'

Mai had gathered her cloak about her and rose to depart once more, dry humor evident. 'Now, _that's _what I call using your brain.'

Toph had spent the remainder of the night tossing and turning in her cot, her sheets in a tangle around her legs in the hot summer air. The beginnings of a hangover throbbed her sweaty temple as she contemplated Mai's meaningful parting words. She hadn't _really_ meant that, had she? It was just a throwaway remark, a wild, impossible idea created by a combination of idle drinking and youthful longing.

Still, the seed that had been planted just a few hours ago began to germinate, possibilities stretching out before her bloodshot eyes. In a drunken haze marred only by the aches in her forehead, Toph imagined a life uncomplicated, Sokka and her resuming their destined positions as partners- in crime, in life, in love. She alone possessed certain knowledge of him, neatly collected from years of friendship cultivated, laughs and solitary moments shared strengthening their indescribable bond. Toph couldn't deny the instant smile he brought to her face with his clumsy stumble, his approaching footsteps sending her heart into overdrive, let alone the feel of his skin on hers. Her heart resided entirely in Sokka's hands, wounded before but still resilient.

She was tired of being relegated to the background as Suki commanded Sokka's undivided attention, had had enough of playing plain second fiddle when she and Sokka fit like two adjacent puzzle pieces. Toph thought wearily of how his body would press against Suki's, the gentle chafing of lovers' wrists under the dinner table, stolen kisses transparent under her vision. She wanted it- wanted it all, and could give back so much more.

And so, subconsciously, she began.

At first, Toph started off slow, all the better to induce her target into lowering his guard. She would reach out for his hand voluntarily as they strolled down the streets together, allowing him to guide her through the crowds despite her perfect sight. At mealtimes, she'd brush her bare skin against his arm, then draw back quickly in apparent distress as a demure murmur left her lips, lashes dipping contritely to caress the glow of her skin.

She felt silly and stupid, a girl playing a woman. She was sure that Sokka, with all of his intelligence and worldliness, would see through her poor excuse of a ruse. But as her hugs lingered upon his torso for longer moments, her grip bold and tight with their bodies separated by thin layers of material, Toph would feel the skittering and changing pace of his heart.

The plan progressively accelerated. When she felt Sokka's heartbeat race as they passed a gaggle of noble ladies all made-up, Toph travelled to the shops alone, purchasing five of the finest gowns from the best milliner she could find. She wore one each day over the next week, allowing the Water Tribesman a panel of skin through the slit at her shin, a peep from the mole on her shoulder, the curvature of her spine through flimsy wisps. With Katara's help, her day-to-day clothes were suitably altered to draw attention to her maturing figure. They were less roomy and comfortable than what she would have preferred, but the sharp intakes of Sokka's breath the first few times she passed him were worth it.

Toph even tried her hand at teasing. As they sparred in the open space of their backyard, she'd pin his body down between the length of her legs when she won (which she inevitably did), purposely journeying south. The braids he told her he liked would swing past her shoulders to tickle his neck as she leaned down to taunt him, her hand seemingly placed on his chest for balance. Sometimes she'd remark on the heat of the day, wetting her dry lips innocently, her gaze vacant but fully aware of his eyes following the deliberate trail of the tip of her tongue.

She took it one step further; as Sokka returned from another disagreement with Suki, Toph would listen patiently, often staying silent upon a pointed question. When questioned about her lack of talkativeness, she'd speak hesitantly, carefully avoiding speaking ill of either party before succumbing to Sokka's pleads, reluctantly acknowledging that Suki was in the wrong.

'It must be hard for you,' she would say, soothing as she touched Sokka's forearm in sympathy. 'You two are so different, but I _suppose _if you stay committed, work at it-' Toph would pause, shrugging, subtly sowing seeds of doubt as her tone took on a note of innocent skepticism. 'Who knows? Maybe it'll work out after all.'

And Suki? Toph could have laughed. The Kyoshi Warrior was happy and secure in the false knowledge that her boyfriend loved her undoubtedly and unwaveringly, dashing into his vacillating arms at day's end. Suki was content, her conscience clear and devoid of suspicions as she happily rattled off tales of training, perfectly unaware of Toph's foot grazing Sokka's seductively beneath the dinner table.

Toph was competitive. She played to win.

And when Sokka's lips finally came crashing down on hers, she smiled, appreciating how sweet the taste of victory truly was.

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><p><strong>AN**: Thank you to those who reviewed last- **Invaderk**, **wtng**, **Spry**, **Ignorant Sparrow** and **tomboy_26**! You all have been such fantastic 'cheerleaders', giving awesome suggestions and great reviews, and I really appreciate it.

This particular oneshot has, I hope, all the right elements of sneaky planning and slick moves to create the image of 'Sabotage'. I could imagine Toph doing something like this, should her feelings for Sokka strengthen over time; she's competitive and kind of a sore loser, after all! Of course, there would have to be a suitable catalyst (Mai here) for Toph to even think about, let alone carry out, a master plan, which is really more of Sokka's forte. This was really fun to write, because I have been angsting for some sexy, smooth Tokka, and I hope you all enjoyed reading this as much as I had fun conceptualizing it :)

Please tell all your friends about Tokka Week (you can totally pimp out my fic *coughhintcough*); for some reason, people Story Alert but don't review, which is slightly discouraging to a writer. Also, besides me, **Invaderk** has some lovely oneshots for the event out, so do read them if you can.

Just a note: my replies to prompts #6 and #7 have yet to be written, and as my weekend is pretty busy, I may only get to publish them next week.

Onwards to tomorrow!


	5. Ecstasy

**Written for Tokka Week on KataangForever(dot)com**

_Prompt #5: Ecstasy_

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><p><strong>Three Times Toph Hid Her Smile from Sokka, and the One Time She Didn't Bother<strong>

_One:_

'Say something funny!' Aang said eagerly.

Toph felt Sokka arch an eyebrow, puzzled. 'Funny how?'

Aang and Katara burst into peals of laughter right on cue as Toph crossed her arms, basking in the thump of Sokka's familiar heartbeat. She hadn't truly appreciated how much Sokka was responsible for- planning, entertainment and meals all fell into ruins when he had left to train with the sword-master. Besides, his absence made her heart grow fonder, leaving her to combat stowed away thoughts of him as she lounged indolently around camp.

When she had felt his footsteps, a wave of euphoria had enveloped her as she immediately jumped to her feet, nearly bowling him over with the force of her hug. Toph felt light-headed now from the metallic scent clinging to his neck, embarrassed at her openly affectionate display but secretly pleased that he was finally back.

Sokka was watching the others with a perplexed expression. Turning to Toph, he jerked a thumb in their direction. 'What's up with them?'

'I don't know,' Toph shrugged, turning her back to him as the beginnings of a blush crept over her face. She reached up to tousle the back of her head nonchalantly, adopting an air of indifference. 'They missed you or something. I didn't care.'

As the lie left her mouth, Toph allowed herself a concealed, melancholy smile, wishing that someday, somehow, she'd finally work up the courage to tell him the truth.

* * *

><p><em>Two:<em>

'-And then she just walks right out on me! Packs her bags, and gets on the first train out of this town!'

Toph shook her head sympathetically, tinkering with the glassware lining their cabinet. In times like these, there was only one way to quell the anger and frustration he clearly felt. With some effort, she located a dusty bottle of sake, setting it on the wooden table along with two small cups.

As she filled the pottery with aged liquid, Sokka continued his rant. 'I mean, what the hell! We've been over this before- I can't just up and leave my job to live with her on Kyoshi Island, and she's basically all, "If you loved me enough, you'd do it!"' Toph felt him gesticulating wildly, perhaps pantomiming Suki's expressions as his voice rose to accommodate a girlish pitch. 'And when I say, for like the fifth time this year, _no_, I can't leave, she just blows up, yelling about how I've "changed" and become obsessed with my work, to which I respond, hello, it's the _Harmony Restoration Movement_. It's important stuff!'

Sokka paused for a breath, his arm streaking out to grab one of the cups and draining its contents instantly. Toph felt the exhaustion lining creases into his face as he looked at her, sitting to his right, her chin in her hand. 'This is it, isn't it?'

Toph shrugged, tugging at her bangs with her free hand. She took a long sip from her own cup before setting it down, giving a sigh as her only response despite the hope blossoming within her. The couple had been having trouble for quite some time, she reflected. Ever since they had returned from the colonies, Suki had been increasingly eager for the both of them to return home, while Sokka was adamant in staying back in Ba Sing Se to oversee the Movement's plans.

As she remained silent, Sokka fumbled for the right words, his voice lapsing into defeat. 'I'm not happy with Suki, and it's not fair for her to treat me this way.'

He snuck a glance at Toph, whose head barely bobbed in agreement. She ignored the silence he stretched out deliberately; there had been enough fights for Sokka to turn to Toph for advice, although he never seemed to act on her carefully selected words, choosing to continue with his relationship's destructive cycle instead.

Hence, she held her tongue, refilling their cups with more sake in replacement of unheeded advice.

After a brief silence, during which they drank, Sokka set his emptied cup down, rising from his chair. 'I think,' he said slowly, 'I'll write to Suki. It's not working out between us. It's over.'

He gave Toph a hard, almost pleading look, as if seeking an objection. Instead, she merely tilted her head, surveying the depths of her cup with milky eyes, refusing to provide one. With a sigh, Sokka shuffled to his room dejectedly, stopping only to grab a sheet of paper and some writing materials from the living room.

After a few moments, the door to his room clicked shut with a solemn note of finality. Only then did Toph raise her cup in a toast to the rapturous delight writhing within her, a barely-contained, satisfied smile streaking out from behind the rim as she drank in the taste of sweet, sweet joy.

* * *

><p><em>Three:<em>

'Katara!'

Toph barely had strength for that word, but all the urgency needed was conveyed effectively. She felt the waterbender rush to the tent's entrance, the sharp intake of breath signaling her shock.

'Bring him in here, Toph,' Katara ordered, holding the canvas aside before emptying the contents of her waterskin onto her hands.

She did as she was told, her muscles trembling from the exertion it took to drag her best friend halfway across the canyon back to their campsite. Toph laid Sokka's head upon the soft earth gingerly, careful not to probe the head wound before backing away, collapsing on the ground in an exhausted and frightened heap.

There had been an ambush lying in wait for them as they returned from the next town, newly purchased supplies strapped to their backs. Their attackers had been a bunch of rogues from the Fire Nation colonies, displeased at having to evacuate their homes to make way for the construction of United Republic, losing their livelihoods in the process. They were hungry, Toph and Sokka had food- it was that simple.

And so, they fought.

Toph had managed to take care of the heavy-set earthbenders, grounding them into the dirt, but had difficulty pinning the agile firebenders down. As she sent a wave of earth crashing, dislodging her opponents' stance, Toph got a brainwave. She had gathered up the scattered rocks, forcing their molecules to contract and press tightly against each other before slicing them off, bit by bit, rocketing towards and piercing several of their attackers She remembered Aang had used it once, in his fight against Ozai, and if it was good enough for the former Fire Lord, it was certainly adequate for random bandits.

One of the non-benders, however, had swung at a miniscule stone with his sword; by pure luck, it ricocheted off the metal surface before crashing into Sokka's skull.

It was like a play gone wrong. Sokka was happily brandishing his new sword at his foe one moment, then, as the rock hit him, swayed over as if he had overbalanced, his limp body crashing to the ground the next.

Toph had gone berserk. She didn't quite know how she did it, but she had managed to haul Sokka onto her back in addition to her continued assault, creating an avalanche of stone to separate themselves from the bandits to avoid more potential injuries. The whole way up, Toph had desperately checked Sokka's pulse every few seconds, his breath faint and ragged on the back of her neck. She had cursed her noodlebrained idea, wishing she were just a few inches taller so that she, not Sokka, would be in mortal danger right now.

By then, Aang had joined them, aiding Katara in her healing session. Toph felt him stride over to her, a light hand touching her shoulder in concern. 'It looks like it's going to take a while, Toph. Why don't you go get some rest?'

She nodded dumbly, understanding Aang's intent; there was nothing she could do for Sokka. Best to leave it to the professionals. She exited the tent, waiting till she crawled into her earthen one before allowing the sobs to wrack her body. Toph curled up into a ball, careful to prevent her hands or feet from touching the floor; if there was bad news, she didn't want to be the first to know.

Hours passed. Toph slipped into a fitful doze, her eyes heavy and swollen from prolonged crying. She awoke to a tap on her makeshift roof; leaping from her position on the earth, she found a tired Katara awaiting her, smelling of iron and river water.

'Is he-'

'Fine,' Katara sighed thankfully, reaching out to squeeze Toph's dirty hand. 'He asked for you.'

She didn't need to be told twice; Toph tugged her hand free from the waterbender's and raced to the tent, finding an awake, lucid Sokka propped up on a stack of pillows, a grin plastered across his face.

'Toph!' she heard him gurgle, 'I'm all right, Toph!'

She slid down next to him, relieved that he was alive and talking, the tears welling up behind her eyes. Toph grabbed Sokka's wrist, surreptitiously checking his pulse for any signs of internal injury, her other hand molding to his drawn face gently.

'Ow, that hurts!'

'Sorry,' she murmured, releasing her vice grip; her other hand, however, remained firmly in place against the flush of his cheek. 'So, how's your head?'

'Not doing too well,' Sokka grinned goofily, rapping his skull with his knuckles. 'I mean, now that I have _rocks_ for brains, and all. Get it?'

Toph groaned, her lips nearly twitching into a smile, withdrawing her concerned hand like lightning. 'Seriously, Sokka?'

'C'mon, Toph- I'm on a roll, and I ain't gathering moss!'

'One more time,' she threatened, 'And I will punch you. I don't care if you have a head wound-'

'Ah, but you can't blame me- I'm totally _stoned_. Ouch! Toph, come on! Can't you take a joke?'

Back in her tent after pummeling some sense into Sokka, Toph drew her knees to her chest, half-laughing, half-crying, but all the while thanking the Spirits for possessing the benevolence to give her one more chance.

* * *

><p><em>And the one time she didn't bother:<em>

It had been the perfect proposal_._

Dinner had been superb, neither of them having a criticism about the meat or wine, for once. Afterwards, they had strolled around the public gardens, taking in the cool night air and the half-constructed city they were building together. Toph's arm was linked through Sokka's, enjoying his reciprocating touch and keeping mum as an erratic heartbeat crawled up her skin.

They had parked themselves on a stone bench beneath the boughs of a sapling, upon which the question was promptly popped. She remembered, and later grudgingly admitted, that her happiness had stamped itself on her face in the form of a tearful grin, her mouth only changing shape as Sokka pulled her in for a kiss. However, she denied outright that she had hugged Sokka so hard that they had tumbled off their bench, or that she had vocalized her ecstasy via shrill notes of screaming.

There had, of course, been some worry over the engagement necklace as it didn't exactly comply with tradition, but that was solved nicely by using sturdier material and having Republic City's symbol engraved onto the necklace instead. Fingering it, Toph thought it appropriate, now that they had both made their homes there.

They returned home in an utterly disheveled state, with Sokka's belt askew and leaves caught up in the tangle of Toph's hair. As they flung open the door, they were met with an anxious Katara, who immediately halted her restless pacing. Her eyes bright, cheeks pink, she turned to the duo to demand, 'Well?'

Although Toph's cheeks were aching from her consistent grinning for the past few hours, her facial muscles managed to work themselves into a beatific smile. She tilted her face upwards to face Sokka, her hand squeezing his; he got the hint. A complementary smile crossing his face, Sokka reached up to tug at his collar, revealing a metal disc against his chest, hanging by the loop of a thick leather thong. Toph turned back to her new sister-in-law-to-be, her grin turning mischievous.

'He said _yes_!'

* * *

><p><strong>AN**: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, with a special mention **Invaderk** for sparking off the Three plus One format of this piece. Check hers out, too!

Uh okay, I realise oneshots/drabbles have rapidly become my weak point (see my previous CSI stories: what happened, man?). Here, I really tried to stick with the theme while influencing the different scenarios with my own brand of writing.

The first moment takes place in 'Sokka's Master'- rewatching the scene, I realised Toph's smile was really uncharacteristic and wanted to add a little background to the short moment. I hope the second one was ironic, in the sense that Toph keeps quiet the entire conversation while Sokka just babbles. She's just letting him decide what's right to do, instead of coddling him like before, ending in her 'triumph'. The third moment may be seen as somewhat divergent, but Toph's ecstasy only shines through when she sees how Sokka is fine and has reverted back to his comedic self, besides that solitary moment where she breaks down from relief and gladness.

As for the 'one time'- yes, Toph proposed to Sokka, presenting him with an engagement necklace instead of the other way around. I hope it came as a surprise (*crosses fingers*) when the punchline was delivered. I meant to reflect how unconventional and unexpected Tokka is (and yes, Katara knew about Toph's plan beforehand).

Unfortunately, I have been unable to buckle down and get to writing prompts 6 and 7, but I'll update when I can; look out for them in the coming week(s)! As always, comments and critiques are all greatly appreciated :)


	6. Shiver

**Written for Tokka Week on KataangForever(dot)com**

_Prompt #6: Shiver_

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><p><strong>Fighting Snow<strong>

It is cold.

Freezing, in fact. Toph can feel the bitter wind biting at the tip of her nose, her cheeks rubbed red and raw from the tears wiped hastily away. She takes comfort in the fact that these events are supposed to be happy, and maybe the cascading salt will be taken at face value. Her teeth chatter as the wind picks up, her neck shrinking into the cowl neckline of her borrowed penguin-skin coat. It is an effort to fight the icicles gathering around her darkness, their tips like needles, injecting frost into her pulsing veins.

Somehow, Toph thinks she's losing. The wind howls around her ears, drowning out the merry-making behind her with whispers of snowflakes and promises of numbness. She's strong, she's been quiet and brave. She's been forced to wear boots, which she doesn't complain about. Toph doubts if they have made a difference against the cold; it manages to penetrate the plush fur lining, making her vision even more hazy till all she knows is the vast landscape of snow, the murky depths of icy seas ahead.

Throughout the wedding, she has been grateful for it, for the padding and the inability to see much. Toph remembers the clapping, the cheers; the happiness in the crisp afternoon air is infectious. But she, in her thick muffler and swaddled form, evades it; it evades her, repelled and disgusted by the tangible unhappiness radiating off her in waves. Toph shivers, drawing her coat around her tighter as she feels the empty eating at her heart. It is lonely, being bitter and having the dark consume you.

Footsteps. Snow crunching. She's waved off Katara before, and Twinkletoes doesn't walk with such heaviness. Toph prays it's not Zuko; she can't handle awkward right now. Soon, she smells the remnants of cactus juice and the subtle padding of a holstered boomerang across a lean back, and she knows who it is.

Quickly, Toph rubs her running nose with the back of her hand, rough wool chafing her skin. One last breath- a shudder rips through her body, then another one as she turns to face him, his own brand of heat permeating her immediate area. He's always been warm, more so than his sister, less than the Fire Lord. Maybe it's a result of adapting to this wretched, barren wasteland.

Toph doesn't know, or care, really. She merely straightens up and squeezes her eyes shut. Her throat is dry.

'Go away,' she croaks.

'And hello to you, too.' Sokka's slurring slightly. 'You know you're facing the sea, right?'

'Oh, wow, really? I couldn't tell.'

'Come back to the party,' Sokka says gently, reaching for her gloved fingers.

Toph tugs her hand away. 'Party's not that fun.'

Sokka rolls his eyes. 'It's a wedding reception. Between two war heroes. With boring, stiff-upper-lip dignitaries. It's not _supposed _to be fun.'

Another shrug. Toph doesn't feel like talking, so she turns back to the direction of silence and ghastly winds.

'Toph,' she hears Sokka sigh. 'Come on. Live it up a little. I mean, ever since you heard about the engagement, you've been kinda... Off, don't you think?'

'Gee,' is her sarcastic reply. 'I wonder why.'

Sokka takes a deep breath, the exhaled air white and spiralling, answering with forced patience. 'I've told you-'

'_And I don't want to hear it_!'

She's whirled around to face him, breathing hard and feeling her muscles quivering in anticipation of a good fight. Toph feels the heat of her breath, the temperature of Sokka- it's too much, and she wants to ram his face into the snow till he shuts up and it buries him with their icy tendrils. It's embarrassing, that she confessed to him, to her _best friend_.

Toph bites her lips, red against a dusting of vapor. She's trying not to crack, her glassy eyes withholding emotions. 'It's not fair.'

Sokka is coming towards her, arms outstretched and offering unwanted solace. 'I know, Toph. Believe me.'

A distant shout of laughter- Sokka turns to find that Zuko has dipped Katara beneath the awning of their brand-new igloo home, a wedding gift from Hakoda, their features illuminated by the light of a hundred candles. Their faces are alight with joy, the glow emanating from their bodies beckoning and soothing in its undeniable warmth. When the Fire Lord leans down to press his lips against those of his wife, Sokka can practically see the sparks ignite, hot liquid coursing through his veins.

Then he turns back to Toph- she's standing alone, her body half-shrouded in darkness. The snow clings to her hair and melts into her coat, her body disappearing into a multitude of layers insisted upon by the bride. The only part of her Sokka can see clearly is her eyes- they are as deep as the ocean behind her, glassy and depths unfathomable. His heart swells for her as Toph surveys the scene before them, unsure if she realises what's going on. Only when she tugs off her muffler, throwing it to the ground, does Sokka see the trembling of her lips and understands.

He sees her swallow dry grit, throat working, her blue lips mouthing words carried off by the draft. 'It's cold.'

Sokka doesn't waver this time. He steps forward and envelopes Toph in his arms, knowing that's exactly what she needs. Toph's head lolls forward and buries itself in the lining of his outerwear, the black of her hair smelling of crisp dirt. Sokka holds her closer, his hands rubbing balm into salted wounds, lifting her fringe to plant a rough kiss on the skin revealed. He wants her to know that it's okay, and though he is incomparable to the heat and gravity of her sun, his embrace is always waiting for her here.

Her cheek against the soft comfort of fur, Toph takes little gasps to steady herself at the onslaught of Sokka's temperature, his heart pumping spurts of heats to thaw her out. He is warmth and love, resiliently chipping away at her dam, the walls she has built around herself. The ice in her melts, water leaking from her frozen eyes in small drips, tremors running through her body as her best friend holds her tight and waits for the tide to go out.

A thousand leagues beneath her feet, the crust of the earth shakes and shifts.

* * *

><p><strong>AN**: Hello everyone, yes, I'm not dead! I realise Tokka Week is well and truly over (*sobs*), but I still have another prompt to grind out. Inspiration has been evading me lately. Also, life has been getting in the way- currently looking for internships at law firms (and getting rejected by them). :(

Had a hard time with 'Shiver'- so I decided to go for a twisted deviation of what I wrote in Chapter 3, Meteor, of Nothing is Illuminated, just to facilitate my increasing love for Toko, a little Zutara and some BFF!Tokka with hints of Sokka's feelings, not sure if it's that obvious, but I didn't know if he would feel that way myself.

Thank you to faithful readers and reviewers, as well as people who have liked the output enough to add this collection to their Story Alerts. You guys know how to make an author feel loved!

As always, please R&R, with critiques and comments all very, very welcome. Until next time, to all my Chinese readers, have a happy Year of the Dragon! :D Go wild x


	7. Bruise

**Written for Tokka Week on KataangForever(dot)com**

_Prompt #7: Bruise_

Note: Influences taken from _Graveyard- Feist_

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><p><strong>Bring Them All Back to Life<strong>

Sokka counts his friendship with Toph in bruises.

He's received numerous ones over the years, dark blue and purple blossoming where her fist meets his skin. They're big and bold and righteous, scaling upwards on his forearm as Toph hits a growth spurt two years after the war. She grows, both mentally and physically, as does the force behind her physical display of affection; Sokka never thinks Toph cuts a conventional womanly figure, but he can't help admiring the definition of her muscles beneath her tunic right after she's pummeled him one heck of a punch.

They're mostly affectionate, playful things that end a particularly sappy moment or when she (successfully) riles him. Sometimes, they irritate him ('Way to ruin a moment, Toph,' he deadpans, rubbing the sore spot gingerly) or hurt his ego a little. But straight after that, there is always a wide smile crossing her face, ends disappearing into her bangs and meaning, _No harm done, Snoozles- you know I still love you_.

Of course, Sokka doesn't realise how true this is till one day, when he's nineteen and she's sixteen and uncharacteristically shuffling shyly up to him, Toph blurts the truth out. To be precise, Toph begins with a babble, ending with her yelling at Sokka for being the clueless nutcase he's been for the past four years. The vocal amplitude, he guesses, is mainly to distract from the content being elucidated upon. Her back is faced to him the entire time, although it's ineffective in concealing the embarrassed hopefulness creeping into her tone. And when he lets her down gently (he _has_ to let her down- doesn't he?), Toph remains motionless, her only response a strained smile, saying, _It's cool. It's okay. I understand_, the rest of her expression a shadow Sokka pretends not to notice.

Things stay awkward between them for the next few weeks. Although his ego is (somewhat almost sort of) bolstered- because isn't it always flattering when your best friend says she likes you in _that _way- Sokka is frustrated that Toph had to tell him the truth. The moment he thinks this, he immediately feels guilty- it's no one's fault that Toph feels that way, just a trick played by the Spirits. Sokka tries his best to smooth things over, but is helpless in averting his thoughts from that humid dusk when their friendship is shattered by fumbling words. Their conversation is politely formal, movements carefully selected, and he feels terrible that he's given her a psychological, emotional contusion to rival the ones she regularly doles out.

Not terrible enough, however, to stop Suki from placing his arm snugly around her waist whenever Toph is around. Of course he told her- she's his amazing, wonderful warrior girlfriend- but whenever he sees Toph's face twitch, crumpling inside at this minute action, Sokka feels his Adam's apple leap and thud a bruise into his throat, bile rising to leave a sour taste as his tongue brushes Suki's lips.

* * *

><p>On one of her final nights, Sokka sits on the balcony, his feet brushing weathered stones sprinkled with grains of sand. His conversations with Yue are mostly one-sided; sometimes, he vaguely recalls her demure giggles, the pink in her cheeks as he slipped his hand into hers. Other times, Sokka is met with the airy silence of the moon pushing waves, pounding a rhythm into the sand on Ember Island.<p>

He doesn't realise he's not alone till Toph is clambering down to the porch's edge, swinging her legs over to barely graze the ground. Sokka starts, opening his mouth to remark on the lateness of the hour- but she cuts him off. Thinking back, Sokka doesn't remember the clumsy promise of leaving streaming from Toph's mouth, or the subtle defeat weighing her heavy arms down. Instead, it's the way Yue's glow glances off his best friend, making her look ethereal and sad and _just not there, _someone transient, shifting between borders to lands uncharted, leaving him captivated and wondering.

His best friend punches him to end off a speech half-listened to- it is vicious, jerking Sokka back to reality, so much hurt and anger and goodbyes crushed into the palm of Toph's hand that fly out into a palette of dark hues, staining his skin with relief and some semblance of permanence. When Sokka reaches out, his arms seek more solid, more confirmation of their existence, but Toph is gone, padding back into the house with quick lightness.

They fold around the ghosts tumbled down; Sokka is left with nothing concrete, only Yue whispering foretold stories in the crest of the ocean hitting eroded land.

* * *

><p>Toph leaves. The bruises fade.<p>

Unfortunately for Sokka, his memories of her don't.

* * *

><p>A hollow gapes in his chest as the days drag by. It takes him more than a few months to break habits of old. As scheme after scheme succeeds, he always glances over his shoulder to share a triumphant grin. Then he sees empty space instead of his best friend, and the smile slips off like slime to land in a morose puddle at his feet.<p>

Change happens. Sokka's not used to running the show alone; there's always been a wall that Toph provides to bounce off of, witty repartee flying like daggers to their amusement, chaos caused together and a common love for delicacies. Before, there's always been Toph to lean upon, a partner watching his back and there to share the good times. Now, though, Sokka is an aimless wave hurtling towards the vast spectrum of the unknown, the gentle guidance of sand's substance sorely missed and needed.

* * *

><p>Suki leaves next, another blow to blood vessels. She says something about him being half the man he once was.<p>

Sokka thinks of his missing half, the adjacent puzzle piece with blind eyes and can't help but silently agree.

* * *

><p>It is three years later when he sees her again. At first glance, little has changed with Toph; she's cleaned up for the event (someone's birthday- or was it wedding anniversary?), although his sharp eyes notice the fine dust of soil between her toes as she lifts her skirt to ascend the stairs. He tugs at his collar to allow a chill to run down the length of his spine, his eyes glued to the Bei Fong heiress, mesmerized by neither her fancy coiffure nor the flattering gown, but the power and strength radiating from within, obvious with her confident strides and regal posture.<p>

They're re-introduced by a mutual acquaintance; Sokka feels like a fool in comparison to Toph, barely keeping his cool as they exchange formal greetings. He stutters his way through a couple of compliments before Toph, her hand propped onto a jutting hip, cuts him off with an amused smile. _That the best you can do, Snoozles?_

Somehow, they gradually break down each others' wary barriers with nudging jibes and friendly flirting, raiding the open bar to indulge in some alcohol-induced relief. Sokka remembers little after that- stumbling to his rooms, the scraping of a key in a lock, falling onto a mattress- and then it's all in technicolor, flashing lights popping as Toph flops down on top of him, her weight and warmth a rock slamming him the right side up, his head breaking the surface. Sokka gasps for air as Toph beats a trail of kisses down his neck, and he can't, _won't _let go of her shoulders, and as they tumble down sideways his head meets the woody resistance of the floor, a bruise welling up and hurting, but she's gripping him too tightly, her touch saying _STAY with me_ and _never let me go_, with Toph wanting more more _more_.

Sokka closes his eyes, ignores the pain and lets her vicegrip guide him.

Dawn creeps through the curtains to stir a sleepy couple the next day. Sokka and Toph wake and realize what has happened at the exact same moment. He watches the Blind Bandit shudder, a soft gasp in her throat, tensing and keeping her face deliberately pointed upwards. When he moves to face her, Sokka winces, then probes the imprints she's left on his torso and shoulders.

'Sorry about the...' Toph trails off, clutching the sheets hard, her knuckles turning white. There's a matching set on her arms and shoulders, too, and Sokka doesn't know whether to feel horrified or not. He gulps in response, then turns to face the ceiling as well.

They lie there for a while, till Toph makes as if to move out of the bed. The movement is subtle, unconscious, even, but in that moment, Sokka makes his late, late decision and grabs her hand. Toph freezes at the old action, but Sokka pulls her closer to match the contour of her head to his chest, and with gentle strokes each lover thaws out and breathes easy.

* * *

><p>Sokka realizes how much he needs her. Only now does he feel brimming, exploding with emotion and vivacity much depleted when Toph left. Lying here as morning breaks, he feels her heartbeat skip in hesitancy, her arms stiff and uncertain as they intertwine with his.<p>

They've had their rough spots, and sure, they're both a little messed up as the years take their toll. They've been beaten as a result, bluing and hurting, but neither of them have ever declined a challenge, which a romantic relationship together surely is. It'll take some work between the two of them, broken capillaries needing to repair, reaching out towards each other to allow the blood to surge once again, but they'll heal.

They'll heal.

* * *

><p><strong>AN**: So... The present tense and I are BFFs now, seeing how I can't resist writing in that style! Anyway, here's the last edition of the Tokka Week spectacular by yours truly- the mood is bittersweet and angsty, which sets the scene for my other neglected fanfic, Nothing is Illuminated (eeks, one month since it's been updated).

I've seen this kind of writing format before, and decided to try pure narrative sliced into short sections, with barely any dialogue. Hope I did a good job, with everyone in character, and it's not too boring or lengthy. This oneshot was written in a dreamy haze, aimless like Sokka without Toph (see what I did there?) and without any real resolution. 'Bruise(s)' serves as a reminder of Toph to Sokka, who is left hanging by his own devices and incomplete, but still functioning, without her. I wanted the scene where they (it's all up to the reader's interpretation) spend the night together to be fast and hard and hungry, because all this time Toph hasn't forgotten him, and Sokka's finally clued up about how she's the one grounding him. The ending was meant to be hopeful/optimistic but scary, since their friendship is being stepped up to another level and might be sacrificed yet again if it doesn't work out. But it's all about taking chances, Sokka finally understands.

This collection will be updated whenever a oneshot gets written- while Tokka/Toph are my bias, I'm open to including fics about other characters/ships if the inspiration strikes me.

As always, please R&R if you can, and comments/critiques are much loved. :) See you around!


	8. The Fifteenth Day: Part One

**Written for Valentine's Day** (yes, I know, I'm late)

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><p><strong>The Fifteenth Day<strong>

_Part One_

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><p>"It seems to me now that the plain state of being human is dramatic enough for anyone; you don't need to be a heroin addict or a performance poet to experience extremity. You just have to love someone."<p>

― Nick Hornby

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><p>Deng Jie.<p>

The fifteenth day of spring, the Lantern Festival, the ending to the rapturous celebration of the new year's arrival as a full moon shone her blessings down onto her worshipers. She had never known what it was called, but had felt the tiny tots passing her mansion stagger beneath the weight of elaborate lanterns dangling on the end of a wooden stick, their flames wavering but never quite extinguishing. In the evening, her father would pass her a plate of _yuan xiao_ and oranges, chopped and peeled into velvety slices slipping sweetly like liquid down her throat. Swirling smoke from burnt incense would choke and irritate her airways as she knelt alongside her parents, obediently folding her hands in prayer under the gaze of ancestors' past. After meeting the badgermoles, though, Toph's favorite part would be at the end of the rite, when she bent down. Her hands and forehead would be flat against the cool floor of in front of the alter, her eyelids falling like curtains as she enjoyed the sensation of the entire world trembling, swinging between life and death beneath her palms.

What her parents had failed to tell her, in their over-protective, completely ignorant state, however, was that it was also an occasion for the expression of love.

'You've never heard of Deng Jie?' Aang asked in awe, letting his marbles descend with a clatter to the marble tiles and standing up to face her.

As Momo scurried around, chasing the abandoned toys, Toph scrunched her forehead in annoyance. 'Isn't that what I just_ said_, Twinkletoes?'

'It's the fifteenth day of the newest month, Toph, marking the first full moon of the year. People light lanterns in celebration, and everyone exchanges gifts and tokens of appreciation, all to express friendship and love,' Katara explained, stooping down to gather the skittering glass. 'The custom of giving and receiving presents is believed to be an act of renewing and strengthening relationships forged previously, promising an auspicious start to that year.'

'Oh.' She felt Katara retrieve the last of the marbles, then pour them into a cloth bag for safekeeping. 'But… I overheard Ty Lee saying something about romantic interests, too. You didn't mention that.'

Toph couldn't help but become amused as the waterbender flushed, her heat radiating through the ground. 'Well. Uh. Traditionally, a girl was allowed to court a boy she liked during this day, and this day only, by giving him a gift, traditionally an orange. You know how strict they were back then. Boys feeling particularly romantic and, uh, _loving_-' Toph smirked as Katara's head turned, presumably to shoot a fleeting glance at Aang '-could also do the same to show their intentions.'

She felt Aang's eyes bulge unflatteringly, his heart rate suddenly speeding up as he was seized with panic. 'Really? The monks never, uh,_ said_ anything like that-'

'Of course,' Katara interrupted, her voice unusually high-pitched, 'No sane girl or boy in this century would ever _expect_ anything, much less an_ orange_-'

'B-but wouldn't it be nice-'

'Such a gesture would definitely be appreciated, but it's so idealistic-'

'Yeah, I wouldn't want to be presumptuous, what if-'

'-they don't like it? Or hated that kind of stuff?'

'Exactly!'

'Yes, wow, I mean, how _embarrassing_, right?'

'Heh, heh… Yeah, embarrassing...'

Toph, listening to this verbal volleyball, found the following silence brimming with the couple's drumming hearts and short breaths, each practically teetering on the balls of their feet in anticipation. Then, when it was clear neither of them had anything else to add, their eager smiles faltered, the young couple abruptly striding away in opposite directions, only the tinkling of marbles clutched in Katara's hand pervading the atmosphere.

Sighing, Toph got up from her seat and began the walk back to her room. Pausing only to reach down to scratch the back of Momo's ears, she muttered, 'Idiots.'

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><p>Like Katara said, the ritual of giving-presents-to-romantic-interests-(and-therefore-telling-them-in-a-non-verbal-way-you-really-really-liked-them-yes-in-<em>that<em>-way), was disgustingly sentimental and obsolete. The world they were building today had no place and tolerance for such frivolous acts. Their bravery had won them the_ war_, damn it, and it was going to suffice in navigating the tricky waters of romance.

Still. It was pleasant to think about possible gift ideas for Sokka- who had finally,_ thankfully _hit a 'rough patch' with Fangirl- and imagining his physical responses to her silent way of showing her affections. Four years. It had been that long and still Toph could not shake the feeling of warmth gripping her, rising from the depths of the earth whenever he walked into the room. When she heard his blustering voice and felt his purposeful steps vibrate the soil, smelled dinner on his breath, she was captivated, her feet leaving solid ground to venture into the clouds above, never minding how foreign and frightening the environment was because Sokka was always there, his gentle guiding hand stretched out before her.

No matter that Toph was eternally brought down with an unceremonious abruptness when Suki arrived, or when, at Zuko's pleading, she met and rejected a hundred eligible bachelors, evading Sokka's questions of why. No one could compete with his humor, his chivalry (the fact that she could see perfectly well never stopped him), the common interests they shared and how he confided in her, and her alone.

Everyone thought the reason why Toph and Sokka were such a dynamic duo, both on and off the sparring ring, was because of friendship. They were partly right, but the bond between them went so much deeper than that. Friendship didn't explain why they were so in tune with each other that Sokka always knew when to duck without needing Toph to signal her attack, and vice versa. It didn't explain how each of them was there when the other needed them most, whether to pay off a restaurant bill or have a shoulder to cry on. And amity certainly didn't enlighten others how pranks were pulled off at important events flawlessly, with barely a hint of sobriety and only two minutes in each other's company.

Lying in her cot, Toph knew it was chemistry. The Spirits had created them as two complementary halves to make one functioning, awesome, unstoppable whole. Being friends with him wasn't enough; she wanted the entire thing, to go the distance with him and never look back because, Toph truly believed, with all her heart that they were quite literally made for each other. Without him, there would always be the shadow of incompleteness lurking between her lungs, flitting between her ribs to cause gasping aches, the hollow eating her inside out.

But how to tell him? She flipped over and groaned into her pillow. Try as she might- new dresses, a makeover, hilarious attempts at flirting- he never took the bait, his heart accelerating from what Toph suspected might only be shock. Even if Sokka didn't feel the same way about her- her insides squirmed at the thought, then stopped as she set her teeth- it would kill her if she never tried, and tried _hard_. If there was any person who was completely clueless, it was Sokka- although he had saved her life on the final day of the Hundred Year War, his oblivion was, ironically, always the death of her.

That age-old tradition was actually starting to look pretty good.

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><p><strong>AN**: Hey everyone, here's my submission for gratuitous-V-Day-fic! It's going be a short and sweet threeshot, so expect more updates soon.

There was a lot more Kataang than I expected, so I'm classifying this under Kataang territory as well, even though it's mostly from Toph's point of view. Not that it matters. I love that ship to bits, too.

The basis of The Fifteenth Day is the Chinese's alternative to Valentine's Day, which is the last day of the Lunar New Year. Deng Jie means Lantern Festival, where lanterns are lit (surprised?) to guide lost spirits home, besides which also marks the first full moon of the new year and celebrates and cultivates relationships. Although I sort of made up what Katara said about gift-giving (the orange part? Somewhat true- females actually threw oranges inscribed with their contact details/name into a body of water, and the males would pick them up and eat them to find if their fates would be good or bad, depending on the taste), in order to Westernize the customs a little.

The later part where Toph thinks about her relationship with Sokka- basically rambling about the headcanon I made up, on why she's so smitten with him and why Tokka is just perfection on earth. I hope, though, it was _good_ rambling.

Anyway, hope you all liked the awkward fluff and later angsting; all reviews containing suggestions, criticisms, etc. are welcomed!


	9. The Fifteenth Day: Part Two

**Written for Valentine's Day** (yes, I know, I'm late)

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><p><strong>The Fifteenth Day<strong>

_Part Two_

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><p>"If you are not too long, I will wait here for you all my life."<p>

— Oscar Wilde

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><p>To be honest, she had no idea what she was looking for.<p>

Her hood up, Toph shuffled along hesitantly, feeling out the various stalls flanking the cobbled pathway with her feet. Their owners were noisily hawking their goods, brandishing them eagerly to passersby, who were making up a fair amount of the babble themselves. Stopping unwisely to peruse the goods of a flower stall, Toph found herself with a faceful of roses and a merchant who clearly had no limits in hounding his customers. A sneezing fit and a jab of her elbow later, Toph escaped his clutches and continued her route to the heart of the market.

Snatches of haggling and conversations ebbed and flowed in the air around her, evaporating with the heady perfume now in supply at the florists suddenly in abundance in the square. Toph could almost taste the sharp flavors of cocoa and orange as people flitted around her, these annual treats clutched in their hands or swung by the handles of shopping baskets. Their combined scents were so saccharine that she wrinkled her nose in distaste, sure that while Sokka enjoyed sweets as much as the average warrior, it was an overkill with Deng Jie fast approaching, and a horribly cliche idea for a gift. She wanted something meaningful yet practical, able to convey her subtle message to him while serving as a reminder of her whenever he used it.

It. That was the problem. 'It' had to be oustanding and memorable and unconventional, something lasting longer than seal jerky and his sad excuse for a relationship, something that tugged at his heartstrings when she presented it to him, something that would draw him back to_ her_. Comparatively, Toph's task was simple: she just had to find 'it'.

And what better place to search than Republic City's market place, with goods and services available from all corners of the world?

The city's council had evidently aimed to create a celebratory, festive environment, for circus acts were scattered amongst the crowds, each drawing their own ring of admirers and cheers. She felt the swoosh and weight of assorted objects as they were juggled, heard the ring master's shouts and gave a wide berth to the growls emanating from the caged platypus bear. Toph was passing a fire-eater when, much to her ire, she was suddenly besieged by a group of girls whose backs arched unnaturally and walked on their hands instead of their feet. They herded her into the centre of the market, paying no attention to her protests, then broke out into a dance around her, their laughs at her clumsy movements chiming like bells.

Struggling to escape the formation, Toph backed away rapidly, bumping into someone in the process and landing painfully on her behind. Seized by momentary blindness only illuminated by a sharp twinge in her rear, her hood fell down to expose her face and a familiar voice.

'Toph? What're you doing here?' With a tap of his foot, Aang earthbended his teacher into a standing position and helpfully shook the dust from her cloak. 'You okay?'

'Ow,' she grimaced, massaging the tender spot she'd never see, whether blind or not. 'Yeah, I'm fine.' Feeling the curious gazes of the people nearby and the crescendo of whispers, she quickly reached behind and retreated into the shade of her cape's hood. 'Thanks for exposing my identity.'

'Wha- oh, heh, sorry. I'm in disguise, too!' Toph heard a flapping noise and assumed he was demonstrating his own cloak's usefulness in concealment, Aang's chirpiness emphasizing her own sour mood.

'Great, we're both shy people,' she replied sarcastically, beginning to edge away. 'Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some errands to run-'

'You?' She felt his light, almost weightless strides catch up to her, his eyebrows raised in disbelief. 'Toph, no offense, but you hate shopping.'

'Not today, I don't.'

She plunged forward into the crowd, not bothering to check if Aang was keeping up with her and silently hoping she'd lose him in the throngs of the city's people. Lengthening her strides did little to aid her quest for solitary shopping, though. Ever since that growth spurt three years ago, the Avatar positively towered over her and exerted no extra energy in keeping up, even with the resistance of the tightly packed hordes making last minute purchases for the final days of the new year.

'So, who're you buying for?'

She nearly fumbled, her toes getting in the way as her mind worked furiously to keep up with her body. Toph stared ahead resolutely. 'No one.'

Judging by the aggravating smirk Aang now wore, she knew he didn't believe her. 'If you say so,' he replied amiably enough. 'Hey, check this out.'

Toph turned around to feel him veer off to the right, his attention captured by a stall specializing in metalwork. She would've taken the opportunity to slip away if not for the slab of metal calling out her name, evoking conflicting memories of play and that devastating moment when she thought it was all over.

Sidling up to Aang, Toph reached out and grasped the curved instrument, dust staining her fingers. She could hardly believe her fingers. All these years and it was still in one piece; it had finally come back. Following its bend with her thumb, she felt rust plague the mottled surface, the edges dulled with wear and years of misuse. Her lips parted, the climbing speed of her heart surprising even her she brushed over the faded notches on the bottom, the careful carvings spelling instant recognition on her skin: _S-O-K-K-_

'Wow,' Aang's admiring tone interrupted her trance-like state. 'They're all so nice...'

Her hand quickly withdrew from the boomerang, her pale skin on fire as the iron oxide left its brittle traces there. Toph exhaled a breath she didn't know she was holding, lungs contracting and expanding gratefully to accomodate the ripe salt of metal permeating the air, the distant chatter and pounding feet bringing her back to reality. Regaining her composure, she inched closer to Aang, her hands automatically stretching out, fingers lightly drifting over the jewellery he was admiring.

He blinked at Toph in confusion, watching her fingers grasp each item in swift, pensive examination before laying it back down, proceeding on to the next piece. 'What-'

'This one,' Toph stated firmly, gathering up a thick bracelet with semi-precious stones. Frankly, the metalwork was shoddy, but Aang could take care of that; it was the jewels that spoke to her, beautifully cut and whispering secrets of the hidden mines they were excavated from, decades coating them with fantastic layers of carbon.

'Katara would love this,' she winked at him suggestively.

'But she said-'

'Are you kidding me?' Toph cut in, her voice reeking of disgust. She smacked the bracelet into his open palm. 'You know she was just pretending about not wanting impractical gifts, right? Trust me, every girl loves presents.'

She felt his head bow to look at the article, mesmerized. 'It's even blue,' he breathed, turning it over in his hands. 'How'd you know?'

Toph shrugged, folding her arms dismissively; the action failed to conceal the smugness in her tone. 'It's a talent of mine.'

Minutes later, his present secured, Aang slipped the wrapped package beneath his cloak. 'Thanks, Toph. I'll be heading back now,' he grinned, ruffling her bangs through her cloak. 'For someone who detests jewellery, you sure are good at picking 'em out.'

Toph shook him off and thought of the arm bracelet lying snugly beneath her sleeve, hidden from prying eyes. 'Yeah, well, you owe me one.'

She heard him snicker and wave goodbye; after taking only a few steps away, though, Aang turned back unexpectedly and called, 'By the way-'

She cocked her head, immediately retracting her hand from the wares. 'Yeah?'

'You should really clean up that boomerang first. You know how fussy Sokka is.'

Her mouth fell open involuntarily, a telltale flush ascending from her neck up to her hairline; Toph whipped off her hood angrily, a desirable breeze cooling her skin and carrying Aang's parting chuckle towards her. Just as she stepped forward, he was gone, melting into the surging masses and leaving her embarrassed and raging.

Biting back a growl, Toph slung the hood back up and made her way back to the stall they were browsing. She couldn't help grumbling a little; her secret was out, although she hadn't counted on _Aang_ being the first to discover it. Grabbing the boomerang, she reasoned that he, at least, wouldn't interfere, instead standing by as a spectator to watch the situation's full course. And if he _did_ grow a big mouth, Toph decided, polishing the metal surface furiously and futilely, she would definitely not let him walk away unscathed again.

Eventually giving up, Toph tapped the shoulder of the busy shopkeeper and indicated the tarnished weapon with a rust-stained finger.

'So, how much do you want for the boomerang?'

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><p><strong>AN**: Firstly, I'd like to thank **winterxlove**, **Invaderk**, **tomboy_26**,** guyw1tn0nam3**, **13designershoes**, **Enna Moon** and** Spry** for your unfailing support and wonderful, encouraging reviews :) I'm glad this short story brought some smiles to some faces, and was a nice diversion from the usual outpouring of angst I spew.

I_ said_ there'd be Kataang-y goodness, right? And I like the (platonic) interactions between Toph and Aang in the series, it's a pity we see so little of it in Fanfiction. The quote I wrote above is an allusion to Sokka's boomerang and Toph's feelings for him- yeah, the situation is so horribly predictable in my opinion, but ah, well. Valentine's Day is just one huge cheese-fest!

Look out for the next installment soon! I warmly welcome your criticisms and comments, as per normal. :D


	10. The Fifteenth Day: Part Three

**Written for Valentine's Day** (yes, I know, I'm late)

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><p><strong>The Fifteenth Day<strong>

_Part Three_

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><p>"She says nothing at all, but simply stares upward into the dark sky and watches, with sad eyes, the slow dance of the infinite stars."<p>

—Neil Gaiman

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><p>A loud belch emanated from her right.<p>

''Scuse me,' Sokka grinned, wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his tunic and tossing the remains of his dinner into a nearby dustbin. 'Looks like I had too much to eat.'

'How undignified,' Toph mocked serenely, before feeling the bubble of air rising from her own stomach and producing a complementary burp, its amplitude and length greater than that of her companion's.

As she felt the locals turn to face her in surprise, a delicate flush creeping over her skin, she forgot her brief embarrassment when Sokka cuffed her head lightly. Their laughs joined in harmony and floated across the ponds bubbling with the life of the harbour's ocean, darting between the packs crowding the city gardens to breathe freedom in the expansive evening sky above.

Sokka's laughter was abruptly cut off by a groan. 'Oh, man,' Toph heard him whine, 'Come on! They're in public!'

Raising her eyebrows in amusement, Toph turned her feet, facing the direction that contained the source of his exasperation. Upon discovering the bodies of Aang and Katara locked in an eager, intimate embrace, the bracelet bought the previous day proudly displayed on the latter's wrist, Toph, too, found her mouth twitching downwards in similar disgust.

'This is so embarrassing.' The color in her cheeks deepened as Sokka, upon muttering this, seized her hand and began threading their way through the large assembly, presumably to avoid the oogies. Apologetic noises left their throats as they dodged immobile figures, murmured half-heartedly and accompanying their hurried footsteps, Toph blocking out all other disturbances and focusing solely on the man leading the way.

Once they had reached the edge of the largest lake, Sokka flopped down on its bank and crossed his legs. 'I seriously wish they'd cut it out. They're practically adults now,' he ranted, 'And still acting like hormonal teenagers, making out in public. _Gross_.'

Refraining from pointing out that his recently tanked relationship had been annoyingly public in their display of affections, too, Toph settled for nudging him with her foot. 'Psh. Give them a break; it's Deng Jie, and they're madly in love. Heck, I'd give anything to be in their position.'

He gave a short, disbelieving laugh, taking his best friend in with amazement as she sat down as well. 'You? Seriously?' Sokka grasped her shoulder, giving her a little shake. 'You're Toph Bei Fong! You're awesome all on your own, and you definitely don't need anyone!'

She didn't stop the smile from flickering over her face, like the flames dancing haphazardly on the wicks of the candle stubs surrounding them. They were balanced precariously in paper lanterns strung between makeshift wooden poles and trees, giving off ample light and warmth to lend cheer to the festivities that failed to compete with the joy she felt with her best friend now. 'I don't, do I?'

'Hell, no!' Sokka cried, earning a grin from Toph and an affectionate punch to his forearm.

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and drew her in for a hug, her cheek resting comfortably against the warmth of his chest. Leaning into Sokka heavily, Toph thought his body alone expelled heat more radiant than those flimsy decorations, his skin flush against hers, creating a tingling feeling travelling all the way down to her toes that was not unwelcome. Basking in the sounds of gaiety, Toph closed her eyes and listened to the diligent thumping of his heart ringing in her ears, her own breaths inevitably following the rise and fall of Sokka's chest.

She could feel the package tucked between her undershirt and tunic, bulky and slightly uncomfortable with its awkward shape. Toph had neither the sense nor time to find a suitable place for its safekeeping; till this afternoon, she had been working frantically to restore Sokka's beloved weapon, utilising her bending, sheets of sandpaper and spare metal chunks as her ammunition. The result had left her hands burning with aches and grazes, sweat staining through her clothes and her hair coated with rust, but was ultimately satisfactory. She had ensured his boomerang had been returned to its former glory, its edges razor sharp and aerodynamics unrivalled. Testing out the latter had given Toph a nasty bump to her head, the bruise fortunately invisible beneath her bangs. This time, though, she was certain, with her metalbending prowess put to good use, that boomerang would _always _come back.

'Hey, over there,' Sokka nodded, knowing she'd correctly interpret his gestures. 'Those girls are dropping their oranges into the lake.'

Sure enough, Toph spied a gaggle of giggling young women tottering on the edge of the opposite bank, conspicuously dropping the oranges embellished with their contact details into the flowing waters. One of them looked up, spotted Sokka and flashed a flirtatious wink at him. Irritated with Sokka's returning smile, Toph immediately bounced her heel and flattened the grass beneath, causing the earth to deposit the floozy unceremoniously into the lake. She and Sokka promptly burst out into peals of laughter, Toph noting his lacking inclination to help the girl with approval.

'Tell me you didn't do that, Toph,' Sokka alternated between gasps and a disapproving tone. 'Look, she's all wet now.'

The commotion had upset several turtle ducks, she guessed, since the air was filled with their irate quacks and the girl's frightened shrieks as she struggled to clamber back onto dry land. Feeling the unfortunate lady turn to shoot them a murderous glare, Toph fell into a fit of giggles again, then stopped as she noticed the unusual lack of mobility of her best friend, Sokka's penetrating gaze directed at her.

Raising her hand, Toph sought out the blossoming bruise on the side of her head nervously, afraid that he had seen it. 'What?'

'Nothing, just that, I, uh-' She heard the rustling of his clothes, then his warm hand taking hers. 'Since it's Deng Jie and all, I wanted to give you this.'

Her heart accelerating as she grasped the meaning behind his words, Toph's hands closed around the wooden object placed in her palm, taking care not to crush the obviously fragile gift. Her face dissolved into a smile as her fingers sought out the pointed nose, the four uneven legs and roughly hewn tail.

'Am I mistaken, or is this supposed to be a badgermole?' she asked wryly, taking care not to bolster Sokka's ego too much.

'Yeah, well, sort of,' came his uneasy laugh. 'This was my third try. You can probably tell that it's not the most accurate of representations. Although I think you could use it as an ornament or-'

Toph blamed her next action on giddiness from his gift and exhaustion from her sleepless night. With a small push against the ground from her left hand, she was able to boost herself up to reach Sokka's lips with her own. The dry skin on hers brushed, lingered, against the softness that greeted her; she tasted the smoke of his recently consumed dinner, felt the stray strands of stubble chafe gently against her smooth chin. This close, Toph could smell the soot and papyrus Sokka frequently used in his job, his blood rushing up to swim alongside hers, separated by mere layers of epidermis. The whirl of heightened senses overwhelmed her, and Toph felt her eyelids sag, heavy and longing in the moment-

-that quickly ended as Sokka pushed her away forcefully, his heartbeat as rapid as hers. Toph's lips were abruptly met with the cold of the night, tasting bitterly unsatisfactory after experiencing Sokka's kiss.

'What was that?' he sputtered, falling back onto his elbows and regarding her with shock. 'Toph, you _kissed_ me!'

'Y-yeah, I did,' Toph stuttered back, landing on the side of her legs unsteadily. 'W-what-?'

They gaped at each other for a little while, oblivious to the mass of people partaking in the traditions of the old era around them. After a few moments, Sokka managed to return to his sitting position, levelling her with a wary look and a tone she dreaded.

'Do you... Do you _like _me, or something?'

Toph flushed angrily, rising on her knees defiantly. 'I just kissed you, didn't I? I mean, are you telling me you don't?'

As the words left her mouth in their rapid, thoughtless flight, her heart seemed to drop; assessing Sokka's body language and horror-struck expression, Toph knew the answer to her question even before he could even open his mouth to provide a response.

'But-' her voice was raspy, and broke; then her mind kicked into overdrive as she parroted the knowledge stowed away, words falling automatically from her mouth as soon as she wet her lips. '-You got me a gift, _made_ it for me, and it's the fifteenth day today... K-Katara said that gifts were given to express romantic interests-'

'-and cement _friendships_,' Sokka interrupted weakly. 'I made that badgermole to show you how much you mean to me... As my best friend.'

Toph felt the hope she had nurtured all this time evaporate, along with the small ecstasy his gift had brought. She could feel the plummeting of her heart, digging it's dirty grave into the lake's bank, the blood flow arresting till stagnant. Her hand loosened as a result, and she felt the carved badgermole's soft impact as it fell amongst the grass blades. In contrast, Sokka's words seemed to have a profound effect on her vision, for the world beneath her feet appeared to tilt on its axis ever so slightly, continuing its revolution till she was unable to differentiate the sky and the earth.

She was weightless, floating along like a spirit devoid of any substance. Numbness clawed at her insides, devouring her heart and lungs so that her blood froze, her breath stalled. Toph was not inclined to freely exhibit her emotions, but now she desperately wanted to feel something, something that hurt and would bring tears to her eyes instead of this caving hollow replacing her organs.

She ignored Sokka's placating voice, his outreached hand, aware that her face was a brittle mask with an unknown force lurking behind. Instead, Toph reached into her tunic and pulled out her gift, tossing it carelessly at his feet, the beginnings of panic and shocking blankness writhing within her. It took less than a second for the familiar shape to click remembrance into Sokka's head; she heard the question mark rise and die at the tip of his tongue, the catch of his breath as he realized its significance.

Once she felt him stoop to pick up his boomerang, Toph turned and ran.

* * *

><p>It wasn't till much later that Toph cried. They were never body-wracking sobs, or hysterical wails; to her, crying was a few trails of salt cascading down her cheek, brushed off determinedly with the back of her hand after a few minutes, leaving no traces of revealing signs behind. She was proud of the short, alloted period she gave herself to let loose; it showed that she was strong, disciplined, a fighter forever steady and impervious to hurt and the darkest feelings, her sword always at the ready to fend them off.<p>

Tonight, Toph stretched out on the roof of a house far away from the gardens, its occupants oblivious to her presence. None of her friends ever ventured to the residential areas, having their own places on a small island off Republic City, hence her choice. The murmur of single ladies and their suitors were an ocean away up here, her toes firmly pointed upwards with her arms tucked complacently behind her head. Toph refused to feel the earth and, in turn, refused to let it feel her, refused to let its solid comfort her, stubbornly waiting for the dams withholding her churning heart to crumble down.

The dulled feeling did gave way to real, tangible emotion in the end, squeezed through minuscule tear ducts to paint a river of dashed prospects. Her throat burned and her eyes stung, water coating her mouth to dispel any cells Sokka left behind. But through it all, she never shifted from her set position, allowing the tears to trickle down her neck, little soldiers marching home, their paths sticky and smudged as the wind caressed her cheeks. As her gasps for air died down and the wetness dried grudgingly, she shut her eyes and listened to the constellations whispering their condolences and mourning from above, seeking solace in their infinite arms.

Toph opened her eyes, looked to the stars, and let only silence fall.

* * *

><p><strong>AN**: Well, that's the end of the threeshot! Thank you to** winterxlove**, **guyw1tn0nam3**,** tomboy_26**, **Spry**,** Invaderk**, **13designershoes** and** D3stiny-Sm4sher** for the last chapter's reviews; they have been so encouraging and always bring a smile to my face.

So the fluff and friendship took an angsty turn; I suppose it's me being practical, since I don't think Tokka is likely, despite being a die-hard fan of it myself. Also, I wanted to have opposite endings: Kataang ends up happy, but Tokka doesn't! The quote above is directly linked to the ending; although it's guaranteed Toph would be upset over what she and Sokka will never have, I believe she will get over it as quickly and painlessly as she can, because she's a strong little creature and young enough to withstand the blow. This is just another possibility of Toph's characterization, besides the one I went with in my other Tokka fic. Here, I used her stubbornness and strength to enable her to accept the inevitable and move on, knowing that it was a good effort on her part but Sokka is simply not the one for her.

I hope you all enjoyed it! Please R&R if you can, it gives me strength ;)


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